“Where is Fluttershy? She’s never usually this late for our morning tea?” Rarity asked as she sipped from her cup.
The remaining elements were gathered around their usual tea spot on a fine Saturday morning. Of course, a good coffee shop was essential to the maintenance of any friendship. They all lived busy lives, but the joy of a regular gathering was something they all appreciated and strived to attend.
“I dunno. I saw her earlier. She’d said she would be here like ten minutes ago,” Rainbow Dash said with a shrug.
“I think I see her! Helllllo Fluttershy over here!” Pinkie shouted, leaning precariously over the table much to the annoyance of everpony else who had to clamber to stop their drinks from spilling.
Fluttershy was some way in the distance, slowly moving in the direction of the shop. Next to her was a reddish blob that they could not make out properly from where they sat. She perked up when she heard Pinkie and enthusiastically waved back. She moved with greater haste towards them; her reddish-coloured companion lingered closely behind.
“What’s that animal with her?” Applejack asked.
“Another one? She’s taking this whole sanctuary business quite seriously,” Rarity said with a tinge of exasperation. “I swear I won’t come to another one of these if it’s another ghastly bear.”
“It’s nice to see her so enthusiastic, especially if it’s for a good cause. We should be proud of her,” Twilight said as she squinted in Fluttershy’s direction. “It looks like a dog.”
“Pretty weird looking dog if you ask me,” Applejack huffed.
Fluttershy eagerly totted towards her friends’ table, and the creature by her side followed at an ambling pace. However, as she arrived to take her seat, the welcoming response of the table quickly fell away as the creature shuffled into view.
Applejack was most certainly correct in her assumption that Fluttershy’s companion was like no dog they had ever seen before, probably because it was not a dog at all.
“Hello, everypony,” Fluttershy said cheerily as she took her seat. “Sorry, I’m late. I was picking up some things for the clinic.” The red creature sat itself to her left, making some unintelligible noise. “Oh right, how could I be so rude. Girls, this is Barry. He’s our newest inpatient for the sanctuary.” She gestured to everyone around the table. “Barry, these are my best friends.”
‘Barry’ was a winged, red-skinned creature roughly a foot or so smaller than Fluttershy. His wings were bat-shaped, leathery and wide. He walked on all fours, but his front legs were longer and at their base were a pair of bony hands. His head was oval-shaped; two small horns protruded from the base of his skull. Below them were a pair of beady orange eyes and a mouth full of rows of razor-sharp teeth that gleamed in the sunlight. Behind him, a thin tail whipped furiously against the ground.
“Gamarjoba, q’viteli peris megobrebo,” Barry spoke in a scratching, high-pitched language that made everpony bar Fluttershy wince in discomfort.
“Sweet Celestia, Fluttershy, what is that!?” Rarity screeched as her sunglasses unceremoniously fell off her face.
“There’s no need to shout, Rarity,” Fluttershy said with a smile. “I told you. I found him on the grounds of the sanctuary. He’s our newest member until he recovers his strength, the poor dear.” Barry made some excitable noises, to which Fluttershy giggled in response.
“Fluttershy, that’s a monster!” Applejack shouted.
“No, Applejack,” Fluttershy correctly lightly. “This is Barry.”
“Hi Barry!” Pinkie said as she hopped in front of their new guest just inches from his face. A glow of purple of magic quickly pulled Pinkie away just before one of Barry’s claws grabbed the place where Pinkie had just been. Fortunately, all he had managed to catch was a small chunk of Pinkie’s mane. Twilight placed the still bouncing mare behind Applejack.
“Pinkie, please be careful,” Twilight admonished.
“Oh, he’s feisty. I like him,” Pinkie chirped. Twilight turned her head to regard Fluttershy.
“That’s an imp,” Twilight stated uncharacteristically calmly. “What in Equestria are you doing with one?”
“I’m taking care of him, as I do with all animals,” Fluttershy said. She scanned the table with a confused look, only receiving concerned glances in return. “Girls, I don’t understand. I take care of loads of different animals. I know some may look scary, but they need my help nonetheless.” Fluttershy nodded at her own statement. “Besides, lots of them are real sweethearts when you get to know them.”
“Good Luna, he reeks of rotten eggs,” Rarity sniffed. She took a handkerchief from her purse and pressed it against her nose. Rainbow Dash retched slightly. Applejack’s face scrunched up in disgust.
“Rarity, that’s not very nice,” Fluttershy chided. “Besides, Barry seems to like you.” True to Fluttershy words, Barry had focused his small eyes on Rarity, drool dripped from his lips in long strands that pooled on the ground.
“Fluttershy darling, your definition of like and his definition of it, I fear, are very much different,” Rarity blanched, recoiling from the ravenous gaze of Fluttershy’s companion.
“A demon, Shy!” Rainbow exclaimed excitedly; her hoof unsteadily pointed toward Barry. “You are hanging out with a literal demon!” Barry seemed to grow agitated at that and began hopping in place. He screeched loudly in the same language he had spoken before. Fluttershy comfortingly gripped one of Barry’s claws and gently stroked his head. She shot a fierce look in Rainbow’s direction.
“Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy scolded. “We do not use that word here. it’s very derogatory.” Barry continued to hop from one back leg to the other, screeching loudly as he pointed at Applejack. Red sparks emanated from his outstretched front claw.
“Shenma ukheshi da arak’etilsindisierma sit’q’vebma sheuratskhq’opa momaq’ena. Mets’q’ina tkveni umetsari damok’idebuleba!”
“Fluttershy, he’s trying to cast hexes on us!” Applejack protested, standing up from her seat.
“See what you did, Rainbow? You’ve agitated him,” Fluttershy snapped. “There, there, Barry.” Fluttershy gently continued to stroke Barry’s head until he eventually resumed sitting down passively.
“Am I insane?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Just look at him.”
“You know what I’m done,” Applejack declared. “It’s too early for this. I’m leaving.” Applejack promptly exited, muttering something unintelligible under her breath. Rarity had moved her seat as far away from Barry as possible. Pinkie seemed to be the only one who was entirely unperturbed.
“Fluttershy, I think it would be prudent if Barry came with me,” Twilight said. Fluttershy shot her a confused look.
“Why?”
“Jadokari,” Barry spat at Twilight. Her eyes narrowed in response.
“Fluttershy, your friend is very dangerous,” Twilight said. “He needs to go to Tartarus where he belongs and can’t hurt any creature.”
“No!” Fluttershy protested, hugging Barry close to her. “Barry is a sick animal that needs my help. I can’t just send him away. Especially to somewhere horrible like Tartarus.”
“Fluttershy darling,” Rarity intoned softly. “We all appreciate your dedication to animals. But Barry is not a regular animal. He’s-- I’m sorry darling-- he’s terrifying. Look around us. There are no birds in the sky or ponies in the streets. He’s frightened them all away.”
True to Rarity’s words, the town seemed practically deserted beyond the five of them.
“He’s pure evil!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Pure evil!”
“Girls, I can’t believe you,” Fluttershy said as she stood from the table. Her stare was filled with righteous fury. “I would have thought we had all learned our lesson with Zecora that it is not right to judge others on the sole basis of their appearance. Barry isn’t the most beautiful animal, but he deserves a chance that every creature does. This is just the way he is. Maybe if we accept that, maybe you’d see the good side of him. Just like Discord.” Fluttershy let forth a disappointed sigh. “I’m not saying you have to like Barry. All I am asking is that you give him a chance.”
Twilight and everypony else blinked at Fluttershy, their eyes shifting from her to Barry and then back to her. Barry scratched his head with his hind hoof. Twilight took a long sip of her coffee before crossing her hooves.
“Okay. Fluttershy, where did you find Barry?” Twilight inquired calmly.
“In the sanctuary, of course,” Fluttershy said with an affirmative nod. “He was up a tree. He looked so ill, the poor baby.” Barry let forth an appreciative screech.
“Do you know what imps eat?” Twilight probed.
“I know Barry is carnivorous,” Fluttershy replied. “I have plenty of carnivores in the sanctuary, Twilight. I’m well aware of how they eat and how to feed them. So, if that’s the pro-”
“Imps hunt in packs generally. But are scavengers in nature when on their own,” Twilight interrupted. “They mainly target weak and sick prey to make up for their lack of physical strength.”
“I don’t see why that’s relev-Oh.” Fluttershy gulped; her eyes went wide. That may have explained why Barry rejected her attempts to feed him. She took her seat once more. “I see the problem now.”
Barry burped up several small bones. Fluttershy grimaced as she recognised that some of them seemed to belong to animals that had disappeared recently from her clinic.
“Უk’atsravad” Barry murmured.
“Once they have eaten enough, they start targeting larger prey,” Twilight said grimly, looking over the bones. “Such as ponies.”
“Girls, I don’t think Barry is going to be a good fit for the animal sanctuary,” Fluttershy whispered, her head bowed low.
“YOU THINK?” Rainbow yelled.
Author's Note
Just a short little story I came up with at 2am staring at the ceiling trying desperately to sleep. Hope people enjoy this silly little tale.
Also in case you want to know what Barry is saying
B1: Hello friends of the yellow one.
B2: Your rude and unkind words have insulted me. I am upset at your ignorant attitudes.
B3: Witch!
B4: Excuse me.
